The hub of information for the Second Judicial Circuit Guardian ad Litem Program, our blog contains posts with announcements, news and events, articles, periodicals and additions or updates to our website.

This page contains published posts from the September 2013 archive sorted chronologically with the newest at the top.

We regularly host a variety of events to provide community outreach, raise awareness of our program, recruit new volunteers, fund raise and furnish training to our volunteer guardians ad litem. The following events have been recently added to our calendar.

I would like to give kudos to Maureen Barker for her work and dedication to the child in her case.

Working with the child since February 2008, Maureen stuck with him all the way and made sure that her voice was heard when it came to finding the right permanent home and figuring out how to transition him into it. He is a very special kid with unique needs, requiring a lot of time and patience for everyone involved in his life.

Although the child had a tough time accepting a forever family, with Maureen's assistance he finally did and was adopted earlier this month.

I have worked with a lot of amazing guardians ad litem recently. Kudos to the following six volunteers who made a difference!

Stacey Burns — for being "clutch"We had an emergency hearing with very complicated issues and no time to prepare, but I knew that I could put Stacey on the spot because she knows her case so well. And she did great; I couldn't have gotten through it without her!

Jennifer Jennings-Glover — for being a super investigatorJennifer is so on top of her case and knows what's going on with everybody involved. Thanks to her input and information, I was able to pursue a motion to change a case plan knowing that I had a solid evidentiary basis.

Debbie Leo — for putting up with one of the most unstable casesDebbie takes calls from the child and parents even at all hours of the night. She shows up to the home to help calm explosive situations and provide much needed support for the child.

Patti Sanzone — for driving a child all the way to Mississippi to attend her father's funeralPatti offered and was willing to take the child, even on extremely short notice. This trip provided the child with an invaluable opportunity to connect with family members, some of whom she had not seen in quite some time or ever met.

Carol Ostapchuk — for her amazing patience and support for the family on her caseCarol goes out of her way to be in contact with both parents and be available when they need her. She even recently bought the mother a stroller and other supplies for the baby she is expecting.

Tamara Ross — for doing such a great job testifying at a TPR court hearingThis was her first case and you would have thought she was a pro. Even the judge commented on how credible she was during the hearing.

From 7:38 AM to 7:52 AM, Circuit Director Deborah Moore and CAII Board President Brian Sealey joined Scott to discuss our program, what we do, the importance of volunteers and how CAII contributes. It was a great discussion and provides an excellent introduction to our program.

You can listen to the segment of the show (12:46) in the following ways.

We regularly host a variety of events to provide community outreach, raise awareness of our program, recruit new volunteers, fund raise and furnish training to our volunteer guardians ad litem. The following continuing education events have been recently added to our calendar.

Representing our program were Janet "Jan" Watford, nominated for her outstanding service as a volunteer guardian ad litem, and Starbucks District Manager Omega Wynn, nominated for his exemplary work and dedication as a community supporter.

In addition to the circuit award, Watford was also named "Most Valuable Advocate of the Year 2013" by the Statewide Guardian ad Litem Office, its Executive Director Alan Abramowitz and Governor Rick Scott.

Days later, Watford went on to represent herself and our program at the national Jefferson Awards for Public Service gala in Washington, D.C. where she was recognized in the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis category.

Congratulations to Jan Watford, Omega Wynn, Starbucks and all of the other nominees and winners!

Update2013-10-08: added two photographs of Omega Wynn to article and photo set

We regularly host a variety of events to provide community outreach, raise awareness of our program, recruit new volunteers, fund raise and furnish training to our volunteer guardians ad litem. The following events have been recently added to our calendar.

Every year, non-profit volunteer support organization Child Advocates II, Inc. (CAII) works with local businesses, organizations and individuals throughout Franklin, Gadsden, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty and Wakulla counties to ensure that each and every one of the children represented by our program in need of gifts this season receives them.

Around fifty children represented by our program do not have a volunteer guardian ad litem assigned. It is essential that we recruit and train additional volunteers to fill this gap.

The Second Judicial Circuit Guardian ad Litem Program exists to provide support and representation to abused, abandoned and neglected children in the dependency system.

Guardians ad litem — court-appointed volunteers who protect the rights of and advocate for the best interests of a child involved in a court proceeding — ensure that independent recommendations focusing on the unique needs of the child are provided to the court.

We need your help.

Volunteers are critical to the success of our mission. As people move away, take new jobs or otherwise become unable to serve, we must continually recruit new volunteer guardians ad litem.

Volunteering with our program is a very rewarding experience, so please consider becoming a volunteer guardian ad litem yourself. We provide you with the necessary training and assign a member of our staff to work with you on cases.